Chapter 10, Invasion

(Ardivar)

Ardivar growled, clawing at the side of the burned building. He hissed, pacing back and forth, watching the column of humans leaving the inner fortress. Threaded amongst the soldiers were the regular humans. The soft shelled humans walked in the middle of the long column. He should have attacked last night. Why did the damned Darvan Varsuth have to get in his way?

Ardivar salivated, running his tongue carefully along his razor-sharp teeth. Growling at the thought of all those mages leaving the city. Ardivar remained hidden from the humans. As the Darvan Varsuth refused to let his army attack the humans in broad daylight. Ardivar couldn't believe that the humans just gave up the inner city. They just left. Ardivar hissed. Maybe he shouldn't have burned all of their food supplies? Now he didn't have humans trapped inside the city.

No matter, Ardivar was going to wait until most of the humans were out before he cut off the last of them. He glanced from window to window, occasionally catching the rustle of fur or shadows moving. Good, all of his pack were in place. The scouts placed in the windows and the warriors on the ground floors ready to attack. If Ardivar could kill some humans, that damned Varsuth would have to take him seriously.

Ardivar's fork like tongue darted out, licking his lips. Below, the sweet scent of a mage passing drifted to his nose. Ardivar shivered in excitement. And was that fear? The magic smelled potent, like that powerful fire mage. And was that the other one with him? Ardivar tensed, only relaxing slightly as soon as they left the gates. Both of the human monsters traveling at the front of the column.

That could only mean Ardivar could carry on with his plan. The two biggest threats were leaving. That only meant the rear guard would be strong, but not suicidal for his pack. Nodding to himself, Ardivar hissed a grating laugh. Humans had the right idea, putting their strong at the front and the back to stop attackers. But Ardivar had a plan. At least the Varsuth had agreed to some of Ardivar's request.

The main column advanced, the mass of humans trailing past for what felt like half an hour. Ardivar waited for the right moment. All of those soldiers needed to leave the gate before Ardivar could attack the last column. His heart raced as he glanced back at his main pack. A slight weight left his shoulders, seeing their excitement. Ardivar cursed himself. They were just tools. Nothing more. His chest tightened. At least that was what he told himself.

" Varsuth, we are ready." said Ardivar, projecting his thoughts towards the building next to the exit gate.

Ardivar growled as more humans escaped. Was the Varsuth purposefully making him wait? His skin tingled, and a moment later blue runes formed a wall that blocked off the gate. The shimmering barrier blocking the humans from escaping. Ardivar grimaced when a human walked right into the blue wall, his body shredding. The blue water shading to a bright red, swirling.

" Now Scouts, target their Archers." said Ardivar, projecting his thoughts to his pack. The ten Darvan scouts under his command showed their prowess with their spears. Several found marks as humans in the center of the scrambling group fell screaming. The Javelins took a terrible toll as the Scouts threw the spears down onto the heads of the humans.

One Darva broke a window. Ardivar hissed. What was that young one doing? Revealing its position like that. Ardivar's blood ran cold as grey runes formed around the corner of the building. After one long moment, the side of the building tore apart. Debry flying everywhere as the violent winds scattered wood, glass and a horrifying amount of blood.

Well, now he had nine scouts. Ardivar seethed. That human smelled tasty. He peered through the gap.

" Now, warriors, do not let them group up and prepare. Attack!" said Ardivar, projecting his thoughts.

" Scouts do not stay in one spot, do as we practiced. Throw your javelin and change position, try to find the Human Varsuths." said Ardivar.

Peering at the group of humans, Ardivar wondered at them. Only half of the eighty humans wore armour or carried weapons. He hissed in laughter. Ardivar body shook in excitement as he roved his eyes over the armoured soldiers looking for the mage.

Two humans scanned their surrounding. One human a female judging by the odd dress raised her hands and gestured at the blue wall blocking their path. The draw of power was distinct, and grey runes formed rapidly on the blue wall, expanding as more formed. The wall shook violently, dust and rocks flying as the humans choked and gasped. The smoke cleared, revealing a cleared gate. Blue runes formed rapidly around the human mage. The human's eyes grew wide, but a human in dark red robes standing beside her waved his hand. A red rune forming before the last of the blue runes could.

The Darvan warriors broke from the cover of the crumbling buildings and attacked the choking humans. Their claws shimmered, the noonday sun glinting off of the vicious claws of the Darvan warriors as they tore through humans and armour alike. Ardivar licked his lips and sauntered to the stairs. He casually walked past his pack mates, never once showing his unease at the fight to come.

The building shook, raining dust and ash. Ardivar stumbled, and the smell of burning flesh drifted to his nose. Cursing, Ardivar peeked through the door. Attacked from all sides with scouts throwing javelins from the roofs, the humans scrambles to group together and present a defence. Ardivar lept forwards, unable to draw his shadows around him in the noonday sun. He jumped onto the back of a passing human, tearing out the throat of the soft human.

Spitting the vile blood to the stone, he swiveled his head to find the mages. A building down the street exploded, dust and fire flying everywhere. Ardviar's ears rang. Grinning, he spotted the smoking and ragged Varsuth running along a building. The combined attacks of the two human mages clearly taxing the Darva. A Small four runed dome formed around three humans in armour. The rapid speed of the runes allowing the Darvas counter attack to succeed.

Rushing along the cobblestone, Ardivar and his pack clawed down the disorganized humans. Ardivar tracked the two mages and the Varsuth as they played a deadly game of demon eat the cat. One could never tell if the cat or the demon might win. Grey runes formed in front of the Varsuth, while red runes formed behind the Varsuth. The Darva whirled, only to realize they blocked it in as the humans worked together.

Blue runes began forming over the Varsuth just as the building exploded. Wind and fire swirling into the air in a tunnel cloud. Stopping a suitable distance from the building, Ardivar's heart raced. These humans were not messing around today. Laying in the rubble covered in blood but still standing was the Varsuth. Ardivar hissed in laughter at the Varsuth before he circled, approaching the two human mages for the side.

That is what that Varsuth deserved. He hadn't wanted to fight. It was only right he had to fight for himself for once. Ardivar ran full force with his pack as they passed the wide-open gate. He took the rushing mages by surprise as he lept crashing into the long-haired one, his claws easily digging through her soft clothes.

His prey beneath him, Ardivar noticed too late: she was still flailing, and very much not dead yet. His side exploded in pain and he flew, tumbling head over claw across the courtyard. Rolling, he tumbled to a stop. Coughing and hissing, Ardivar shakily stood. The ground shook again, rumbling as yips and howls tore through the air.

He rose shakily to his feet, now facing the humans in front of him. A dome of fire surrounded the humans. With nowhere to go but the gate on his right. Ardivar swallowed hard as he eyed the two humans standing under the gate. And the two injured but clearly angry humans in the courtyard. One human that he had attacked lay on her back while the other stood over her, glaring hatefully at Ardivar.

Placing his weight down, Ardivar yelped, the pain in his side making him gasp. He limped as the four grim-faced humans drew closer, shrouded by shimmering domes.

The stench of sweet magic filled his nose. Why had the two humans in the column's front come back? Turning to his pack, he gaped at the site of blood and two bodies.

" How many made it out?" asked Ardivar, projecting his thoughts outwards.

"Harut, we had to run. The humans caught number three and number five in their magic." said the angry and sad voice of number four.

" This was a Trap where are the backup forces." asked Ardivar.

" They haven't come yet." said Number four.

" Well, tell them to hurry." said Ardivar, panic rising in his chest.

" They are refusing without orders from the Varsuth." said Number Four.

" Tell them the humans attacked and have captured the Varsuth taking him out of the city." said Ardivar.

" Give me a minute, I'm working on it." said Number four, sounding concerned.

Ardivar hissed, eying the new humans as they surrounded him, staying thirty steps away. Channeling mana Ardivar tried to create runes around himself. Fast as the blink of an eye, red runes formed around him. He lept hissing in pain as the runes exploded in his face. It slammed him back into the wall, his vision blurry as he hit into the stone. Coughing, he spit blood, wondering where the damned reinforcements were?

The Pack attacked the humans still left behind, one of them charging the two in front of the gate, passing the shimmering red dome.

The monstrous human woman carrying a war axe blurred forwards and casually beheaded the Darvan warrior rushing them.

" Hold on. Harut, the army is coming. I just told them that the nasty humans have defiled the corpse of the Varsuth and that he has died." said Number four.

Ardivar smiled. He could hear excitement in her voice. A howl made the two humans walking towards him pause as Darva flooded from the alleys and buildings.

" Oh shit, reinforcements. We need to leave Katherine." Shouted the human Male under the gate.

" But this little demon almost killed Stephanie. We cannot let him escape again, Kellar." shouted Katherine, her knuckles white on her axe.

" Go, carry her we have little time." Ordered Kellar. Not one to hang around, Ardivar slunk towards the shadows, hoping to escape during the renewed attack. His main pack had carved a bloody swath, but it wasn't near the carnage of one hundred Darvan warriors smashing into a weakened and tired human force.

" Kill that little Monster Kellar! Make him pay for all the death it has caused." shouted Katherine as she carried the bloody long haired woman out the gate.